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following to the end of the run。 I had divers adventures on this
horse。 Once I tried a pair of so…called 〃safety〃 stirrups； which
speedily fell out； and I had to ride through the run without any； at
the cost of several tumbles。 Much the best hunter I ever owned was a
sorrel horse named Sagamore。 He was from Geneseo； was fast； a
remarkably good jumper； of great endurance； as quick on his feet as a
cat； and with a dauntless heart。 He never gave me a fall； and
generally enabled me to see all the run。
It would be very unfair to think the sport especially dangerous on
account of the occasional accidents that happen。 A man who is fond of
riding； but who sets a good deal of value； either for the sake of
himself； his family； or his business； upon his neck and limbs； can
hunt with much safety if he gets a quiet horse； a safe fencer； and
does not try to stay in the front rank。 Most accidents occur to men on
green or wild horses； or else to those who keep in front only at the
expense of pumping their mounts； and a fall with a done…out beast is
always peculiarly disagreeable。 Most falls； however； do no harm
whatever to either horse or rider； and after they have picked
themselves up and shaken themselves； the couple ought to be able to go
on just as well as ever。 Of course a man who wishes to keep in the
first flight must expect to face a certain number of tumbles； but even
he will probably not be hurt at all； and he can avoid many a mishap by
easing up his horse whenever he canthat is； by always taking a gap
when possible； going at the lowest panel of every fence； and not
calling on his animal for all there is in him unless it cannot
possibly be avoided。 It must be remembered that hard riding is a very
different thing from good riding； though a good rider to hounds must
also at times ride hard。
Cross…country riding in the rough is not a difficult thing to learn；
always provided the would…be learner is gifted with or has acquired a
fairly stout heart； for a constitutionally timid person is out of
place in the hunting field。 A really finished cross…country rider； a
man who combines hand and seat； heart and head； is of course rare； the
standard is too high for most of us to hope to reach。 But it is
comparatively easy to acquire a light hand and a capacity to sit
fairly well down in the saddle； and when a man has once got these； he
will find no especial difficulty in following the hounds on a trained
hunter。
Fox…hunting is a great sport； but it is as foolish to make a fetish of
it as it is to decry it。 The fox is hunted merely because there is no
larger game to follow。 As long as wolves； deer； or antelope remain in
the land； and in a country where hounds and horsemen can work； no one
could think of following the fox。 It is pursued because the bigger
beasts of the chase have been killed out。 In England it has reached
its present prominence only within two centuries； nobody followed the
fox while the stag and the boar were common。 At the present day； on
Exmoor； where the wild stag is still found； its chase ranks ahead of
that of the fox。 It is not really the hunting proper which is the
point of fox…hunting。 It is the horsemanship； the galloping and
jumping； and the being out in the open air。 Very naturally； however；
men who have passed their lives as fox…hunters grow to regard the
chase and the object of it alike with superstitious veneration。 They
attribute almost mythical characters to the animal。 I know some of my
good Virginian friends； for instance； who seriously believe that the
Virginia red fox is a beast quite unparalleled for speed and endurance
no less than for cunning。 This is of course a mistake。 Compared with a
wolf； an antelope； or even a deer； the fox's speed and endurance do
not stand very high。 A good pack of hounds starting him close would
speedily run into him in the open。 The reason that the hunts last so
long in some cases is because of the nature of the ground which favors
the fox at the expense of the dogs； because of his having the
advantage in the start； and because of his cunning in turning to
account everything which will tell in his favor and against his
pursuers。 In the same way I know plenty of English friends who speak
with bated breath of fox…hunting but look down upon riding to drag…
hounds。 Of course there is a difference in the two sports； and the fun
of actually hunting the wild beast in the one case more than
compensates for the fact that in the other the riding is apt to be
harder and the jumping higher； but both sports are really artificial；
and in their essentials alike。 To any man who has hunted big game in a
wild country the stress laid on the differences between them seems a
little absurd； in fact cockney。 It is of course nothing against either
that it is artificial； so are all sports in long…civilized countries；
from lacrosse to ice yachting。
It is amusing to see how natural it is for each man to glorify the
sport to which he has been accustomed at the expense of any other。 The
old…school French sportsman； for instance； who followed the bear；
stag； and hare with his hounds； always looked down upon the chase of
the fox； whereas the average Englishman not only asserts but seriously
believes that no other kind of chase can compare with it； although in
actual fact the very points in which the Englishman is superior to the
continental sportsmanthat is； in hard and straight…riding and
jumpingare those which drag…hunting tends to develop rather more
than fox…hunting proper。 In the mere hunting itself the continental
sportsman is often unsurpassed。
Once； beyond the Missouri； I met an expatriated German baron； an
unfortunate who had failed utterly in the rough life of the frontier。
He was living in a squalid little hut； almost unfurnished； but studded
around with the diminutive horns of the European roebuck。 These were
the only treasures he had taken with him to remind him of his former
life； and he was never tired of describing what fun it was to shoot
roebucks when driven by the little crooked…legged /dachshunds/。 There
were plenty of deer and antelope roundabout； yielding good sport to
any rifleman； but this exile cared nothing for them； they were not
roebucks； and they could not be chased with his beloved /dachshunds/。
So； among my neighbors in the cattle country； is a gentleman from
France； a very successful ranchman and a thoroughly good fellow； he
cares nothing for hunting big game； and will not go after it； but is
devoted to shooting cotton…tails in the snow； this being a pastime
having much resemblance to one of the recognized sports of his own
land。
However； our own people afford precisely similar instances。 I have met
plenty of men accustomed to killing wild turkeys and deer with small…
bore rifles in the southern forests who； when they got on the plains
and in the Rockies； were absolutely helpless。 They not only failed to
become proficient in the art of killing big game at long ranges with
the large…bore rifle； at the cost of fatiguing tramps； but they had a
positive distaste of the sport and would never allow that it equalled
their own stealthy hunts in eastern forests。 So I know ple